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Give it a go and see for yourself! 'Grades' are merely a loose guide to for structuring learning, they really don't mean too much - and there's really no use sticking to them, unless you're doing an exam. If you can play it, play it!

But if you're really unsure, it's best to ask your teacher, because he/she will know what is and what is not suitable for you.

_________________________Algernon: I hope, Cecily, I shall not offend you if I state quite frankly and openly that you seem to me to be in every way the visible personification of absolute perfection.

I'm not an expert on the grading system. What else can you play, how well can you play it, and how long did it take you to learn? The more honest your answer, the better a response we can provide.

Incidentally, I chose to learn the first movement of the 5th symphony when I was in college. I remember it being quite easy to learn because it is highly repetitive, and it fit very well under the fingers (most Liszt does).

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Every day we are afforded a new chance. The problem with life is not that you run out of chances. In the end, what you run out of are days.

pianoloverus
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Registered: 05/29/01
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Loc: New York City

Once you get up to ten pages and if played at full speed this piece requires virtuoso technique beyond most grading systems. The first three pages may require less and if you are just playing it for fun you can play it at less than full speed which makes it easier.

Another possibility would be to play the transcription by Otto Singer which is still advanced but not as difficult as the one by Liszt. If you cannot find it at IMSLP just PM me with your email address and I can send it to you.

Up till this point the only piece I have devoted enough time to, to get to what I would say is a "performable standard" (Completely memorised, with expression thought out, etc) is the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata 1st Movement, and that took me about 3 weeks. Currently I'm working on a Chopin prelude(Op28 no4) and a contemporary piece by Yann Tiersen called "La Valse de Amelie"(The Waltz of Amelie).

If the first ten pages really do require "virtuoso technique" then I think I'll stick with the first 3 pages.

If the only piece you can play is the first mvt of the Moonlight, I would place the symphony well above your current level.

I won't say don't do it, because let's face it, it's your choice. But I will say your time would probably be better invested in smaller works, building technique, and then coming back to this when you're more advanced and better able to tackle the challenges of the piece. I think I would consider this piece a "goal" piece, for which you work your way towards, and don't spend the time trying to bite off more than it sounds like you can chew at the moment.

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Every day we are afforded a new chance. The problem with life is not that you run out of chances. In the end, what you run out of are days.

If the only piece you can play is the first mvt of the Moonlight, I would place the symphony well above your current level.

I won't say don't do it, because let's face it, it's your choice. But I will say your time would probably be better invested in smaller works, building technique, and then coming back to this when you're more advanced and better able to tackle the challenges of the piece. I think I would consider this piece a "goal" piece, for which you work your way towards, and don't spend the time trying to bite off more than it sounds like you can chew at the moment.

I agree with all of the above and will add that I think that there is little point, artistically, in learning three pages of a work that barely gets you into the exposition.

Work on something that you can complete and save the larger works for when you are in a better position to master them.